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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. mine — for digging
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. can — a tin
  9. ball — a dance
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stock — shares
  15. can — a tin
  16. firm — a company
  17. last — final
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — decided
  21. last — finally
  22. can — to be able to
  23. stock — goods
  24. mine — an explosive

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com